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BONDED BY STRENGTH: A RESCUE DEDICATED TO SAVING HORSES 29-33
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If you ever watched the 2005 movie “Batman Begins,” starring Christian Bale, you surely recall the line “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do, that defines me.”
Back then, Batt Man, an American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) leading sire of Western Pleasure contenders wasn’t even born yet. But all of the astute and dedicated horsemen in his life, knew very early that he would some day live up to that proclamation.
Batt Man’s breeder, Jack Creditt, of Wilmington, Ohio, purchased his dam, Custom Maid Rodder based solely on a picture he saw of the sorrel mare by Radical Rodder. He bred her to Hall of Fame sire Good Version the same year that “Batman Begins” hit the big screen and the following April the bay colt arrived.
“He was born here on our farm,” Creditt explained. “We sold him as a yearling and fortunately, nine years later we were able to buy a part of him back. By then, he was a proven stallion and we were excited to get to own him again.”
Proven he was.
Since 2014 Batt Man has been owned by the partnership of Creditt and Trevor Barnes, the Ohio trainer who broke him and showed him to a Congress Championship in the 3Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure Derby.
“He was always so natural,” Barnes said. “They always say a great horse makes a trainer and any success I have had I owe to Batt Man. As a show horse he was the complete package – a 10 jogger and 10 loper. We showed him
until his first foal crop hit the show pen so he was six years old when he retired to the breeding shed.”
But by then Batt Man had earned a Superior in Western Pleasure and was second in the nation in Junior Stallions.
Barnes still recalls, however, the first time he laid eyes on the friendly bay colt.
“I had a client at the time who wanted me to look at his yearlings,” he explained. “There were probably 10 yearlings in this pasture and this client really wanted me to look at a palomino. It became almost impossible because this friendly bay colt kept getting in the way. I was able to chase him off and when I watched him lope I immediately asked about him. My client was disappointed that I picked the bay colt but two months later he saw what I had seen that day and offered me half ownership if I would train him. I could not turn it down”
Barnes never changed his opinion about just how special Batt Man is.
“When we were chasing the points for his Superior we would collect him on Friday morning and then head to the show,” he said.
“At the shows you would have thought he was a gelding.”
And, along with his solid conformation, it’s that temperament that Barnes says Batt Man most consistently passes on to his foals.
In 2013 Ohio trainer Ashley Lakins won the Coughlin 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure at the Congress riding So Good To B Me, out of Good Baby Hotrod (by Hocus Pocus Hotrod) from Batt Man’s first foal crop. s
“He was so talented and handy from the beginning,” Lakins said. “He had a big personality and was pretty easy to train. He did not like to be in trouble. Had a ton of cadence to him. He was such a fun horse.”
That was just the start of Batt Man foals making thier mark in the show pen. Today, he is a multiple Congress, AQHA and National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) World Champion producer. His foals have earned over 5,300 AQHA points and logged over $1 million in total earnings.
In 2023 Batt Man was ranked number eight on AQHA’s list of top Western Pleasure sires of the year, based on QData statistics of offspring earnings, number of money earners, average earnings and the sire’s leading money earner.
“The Batt Man’s youngsters we have had have been really cool horses,” Lakins added. “They have a ton of talent and seem to want to please you. They are usually great made and that seems to make it easy for them to do their job. We have had quite a few over the years and have had a lot of success with them.”
Some of Batt Man’s most notable offspring include:
• So Good To B Me, in addition to his Congress Championship in the Coughlin Western Pleasure, this bay gelding earned an AQHA World Championship title in Junior Trail.
• Strike 3, AQHA Youth Western Pleasure World Champion, NSBA Youth Western Pleasure World Champion and Congress Youth Western Pleasure Champion.
• Battarang, AQHA Youth Western Pleasure World Champion, NSBA Youth Western Pleasure World Champion and Congress Youth Western Pleasure Champion.
• Spyderman, Tom Powers Triple Challenge 2-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure Stakes Co-Champion and Top 10 AQHA World 2-Year-
Old Open Western Pleasure.
• Loping Radical, two-time Congress Reserve Western Pleasure Champion and Level 2 World Champion Western Pleasure
• Supermann, NSBA World Champion 3-Year- Old Int. Open Western Pleasure).
• Jbll Wonder
Woman, Congress NSBA 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure Futurity Reserve Champion.
• A New Man, Palomino Horse Breeders of America Youth World Champion in Western Pleasure.
“Batt Man himself has a butt as wide as a pickup truck and he often stamps that on his babies,” Creditt said. “He is very easy to be around. He himself has a slow, slow jog and it has often been said that you didn’t want to get behind him on the rail because you would for sure have to pass him. His lope is awesome, as well.
He has a big hock and his
front leg is stick straight.”
Creditt and his wife of 53 years, Pat, have raised many Batt Man foals themselves at their 65-acre farm just a half mile away from the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio. Both enjoy showing in Longe Line and Jack has competed at most all the major shows and futurities across the United States. He has placed numerous times in the top five at the Congress, Tom Powers Futurity and NSBA World Show.
“Our goal is to raise quality horses that will make it to the show pen,” Jack said. “It is very exciting to be watching a class and to hear a Batt Man offspring’s name called by the announcer. Most of the Batt Man’s have a look that is recognizable and many times it is easy to pick them out in a class.
In addition to owning part of Batt Mann, Jack and Pat also own the AQHA stallion Elvis On Impulse (sired by Potential Career), Battmans Covergirl, a 2021 mare by Batt Man, currently in training with Kenny & Ashley Lakins; four weanlings by Batt Man, and two by Elvis; and three yearlings - two by Batt Man and one by Elvis.
“We also have several broodmares, most of them former show horses,” Jack said.
Because they have known Batt Man since he was just a baby, both Creditt and Barnes feel they know everything there is to know about their stallion and have complete faith in his ability to sire foals with the highest degree of potential for the show pen.
Barnes lives in Wapakoneta, Ohio with his wife, Trisha and 15year-old son, Braden. He established his own training operation in s
Some of Batt Man’s World and Quarter Hore Congress Champion offspring include: (top row) Battarang and Lane Kail (left) and Strike 3 and Logan Starnes; (middle row) Lopin Radical and Cole Baker (left) and Good To B Me and Blake Weis; and (bottom) row: A New Man and Braden Barnes.
2006 and has earned numerous PHBA World Championship titles and wins in Western Pleasure and Longe Line at futurities including the Tom Powers Triple Challenge, Ohio, Northern and Southern Ohio, in addition to his Congress Championship with Batt Man himself.
Barnes’ facility includes eight stalls plus indoor and outdoor arenas and multiple pastures on a piece of property 90 minutes northwest of Columbus, close to Indian Lake. There Trevor raises one to three babies a year. He currently has three weanlings and two yearlings. He recently added a young daughter of RL Best Of Sudden who traces back to the great show mare
Form The Line Behind, that Gary Trubee found for him and he is eager to cross her on Batt Man.
“My goal is to breed quality prospects and promote Batt Man,” he said. “He consistently produces big boned foals with huge hips that can jog. If your mare has a specific negative trait and you want to fix that, most of the Batt Mans are positive,” he said. “If your mare has a long back, Batt Man has a very short back. If your mare has knee, Batt Man has a flat knee. If your mare has too much hock action, Batt Man swings from the hip. And if your mare can’t jog, Batt Man sure can.”
Batt Man will once stand in 2025 at Richland Ranch in Auburn, Indiana, under the supervision of breeding manager Karen Boxell Alderman. His stud fee is $2,250 with consideration given to Congress and World Champion mares; multiple mares and return customers. Batt Man is enrolled in the NSBA’s BCF and SIF; the Super Sires and Premier Sires.
For information contact Alderman at (217) 438-9910 or visit Batt Man on the web at www.richlandranch.com.
nce October rolls around, Amber and Dwyane Pickard, owners of Pickard Hanson Show Horses, Inc. in Brenham, Texas, gather up all their yearlings and have their veterinarian perform fluoroscopes.
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine defines fluoroscopy as “a continuous series of very low dose x-ray images that allow veterinarians to see images of the inside of the body in motion.”
“It gives us a general idea, and we keep notes on each one,” Amber said. “We are looking for clean joints with no OCDs or OCD arthritic changes or chips, and we like to see their growth plates.”
James Hassinger, DVM, owner of Hassinger Equine Service based in Aberdeen, North Carolina, thinks that’s a good idea and he wishes more horse owners would consider doing it.
“A lot of juvenile horses that have bone issues show up on an x-ray and do not show clinical signs,” he said. “The advantage to doing pre-training x-rays is that you don't spend a lot of time and money on training a young horse that ultimately is predicted to have some orthopedic issues at some point in the near future."
Identifying joint issues before symptoms appear gives trainers an opportunity to take action to prevent more significant issues from developing later. Here’s a look at what radiographs might reveal about your young horse headed into a training program.
OCDS AnD ARTHRITIC CHAnGES
Opposite Page: Dr Hassinger (top left) takes x-rays of a yearling prior to it going into training. Below that some examples of limb x-rays on horses of varied ages including (left) the left hock and the right fore. Doing x-rays on youngsters prior to starting the training process can help identify potential issues down the road.
“Pre-training x-rays are the lowest number of x-rays we do, and that is unfortunate for the horse,” he said. “Pre-training xrays are probably the most important one for the horse, but a lot of people don't want to spend the money when there is not an issue going on.”
Checkbooks quickly open to diagnose and treat an issue that crops up during the first few months under saddle. Dr. Hassinger, who specializes in equine sports medicine, imaging, and rehabilitation, estimates a thorough set of x-rays will cost $1,500 to $1,800.
“We started x-raying a long time ago, and it helps make sure we don't have lameness problems during the training process,” Dwayne said. ”Now it costs so much to raise and train young horses that you don't want to invest so much you can't get out later.”
Radiographs can identify potential joint issues in long-yearlings and 2-year-olds before swelling or lameness appears, and 60or 90-days' worth of training dollars are spent.
OCD lesions, stifle cysts, hairline fractures, juvenile osteoarthritis in the lower hocks, and hoof problems are all bone issues that show up on an x-ray but may not show up clinically for young horses, according to Dr. Hassinger. While buyers may opt for pre-purchase exams on foals and yearlings, he recommends repeating a few months before the horse goes into training.
“You can definitely not feel confident if you do pre-purchase x-rays early in the horse's yearling year,” Dr. Hassinger said. “There's a whole lot that can change by the time they're two or three, so in my opinion, you most definitely want to repeat the imaging.”
OCD (osteochondritis dissecans) is most often found in hocks and stifles, but it can also occur in other joints, including the fetlocks. Essentially, the bone fails to form properly in these joints. In some cases, chip fragments in the joint act like small pieces of gravel between the moving joints, causing friction, trauma to the cartilage, and inflammation of the joint.
“If a chip is not causing a clinical problem, we tend not to do anything surgically,” Dr. Hassinger said. “The general recommendation is if it's not causing a problem, let's not go in and create a problem.”
Instead, he recommends giving the horse 60 -90 days more before reassessing and
Dr. James Hassinger (above left) says a lot of juvenile horses that have bone issues show up on xrays and do not have clinical signs. The advantage to doing pre-training xrays is that you don’t spend a lot of time and money on training a youngster that is predicted to have issues.
determining if it is ready to go into training. Problematic chips can be removed with arthroscopic surgery. During arthroscopic surgery, small incisions are made to enable a camera to be inserted, fragments are removed, and the joint is cleaned. In most cases, horses can return to training within 60 days.
“We have had horses that had OCD as a yearling, done the surgery, and started them later in their 2-year-old year,” Dwayne said. "They went on to be successful as 3-year-olds and aged horses.”
Amber added that they feed Bone Wise to all their broodmares throughout the pregnancy and then to the foal into its yearling year.
“Since doing that, we've had great luck with OCDs, etc.,” she said.
STIFLE CYSTS
Young horses can also develop stifle cysts (subchondral cystic lesions of the stifle). In these cases, lameness tends to appear when the horse begins a training program, but clinical signs might only show up once the horse is older. Screws implanted across cysts encourage them to fill with bone and heal. Typically, horses can go into training 90 -120 days post-surgery.
“There are a lot of treatment options with these youngsters,” Dr. Hassinger said.
Hand-walking, vibration plate therapy, and calcium supplements are part of a list of treatment options.
If your veterinarian recommends surgery as treatment, the best results occur before the joints are heavily worked. The good news is that there is a good to excellent prognosis that the horse can have a show career.
GROWTH PLATES
In addition to x-raying the cervical joints, Dr. Hassinger suggests radiographs for the growth plates too. Before growth plates close, young horses are more susceptible to injury stemming from training stress, which creates the potential for permanent damage to joints and limbs.
“If the growth plates in a young prospect are wide open, we may wait or start the horse slowly. The first month is mostly groundwork anyway.”
- Amber Hanson Pickard
treatment. Good farriery and shoeing, tailored to the horse's needs, keep these young prospects sound and competitive.
“If the growth plates in a young prospect are wide open, we may wait or start the horse slowly,” Amber said. “The first month is mostly groundwork anyway.”
CERVICAL VERTEBRAE
Dr. Hassinger also encourages breeders and owners to include radiographs of the neck. The neck is made up of seven cervical vertebrae named C1 through C7. These vertebrae can have orthopedic problems which can be visualized radiographically. "The good news is that most of those horses will go through their performance career with very little problems," Dr. Hassinger said.
RULInG OUT BOnE ISSUES In THE FEET
Bone and joint issues in the hocks and stifles tend to receive the greatest attention. However, the bones in the feet are equally important. X-rays can reveal if a young horse has a mechanical rotation of the pedal bone (P3). The degree of rotation can predispose the hoof to laminitis.
“A lot of times, we also x-ray to make sure the horse's angles are correct and to see if we need to change the horse's shoeing,” Dwayne said.
The degree of rotation and how early it is caught determine
“There are a lot of horses that have some degree of rotation who are performing and showing well,” said Dr. Hassinger. Radiographs can also reveal navicular disease and other issues such as navicular cysts and boney inflammation.
COnCLUSIOn
Cost, conformation, potential genetic issues, and the horse's expected potential as a show horse all factor into the decision to x-ray a young horse.
In many cases, radiographs provide additional information that can help trainers and owners decide when to start a horse to ensure the start of his career sets him up for long-term success.
While x-rays provide valuable insights about a horse's joint health and can catch issues early, they do not guarantee or predict long-term soundness. Considering the horse's individual needs and talking to your veterinarian can help you decide if, when, and where to x-ray your next show prospect.
ttt
Dwayne and Amber (pictured above) own and operate Pickard Hanson Show Horses in Brenham, Texas.
ASSOCIATIONS
2025 TEAM WRANGLER (IN) AQHA NEWS
The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) recently announced the 15 top AQHA Professional Horsemen from across disciplines – from all-around to ranching and roping who have been named to Team Wrangler for 2025.
Team Wrangler is a joint effort between AQHA and Wrangler team to promote the American Quarter Horse and the western lifestyle through educational outreach.
The new members include:
• Aldo Garibay of Corregidora, Querètaro, Mexico
• Angie Reichert of Holt, Florida
• Bradley Boyd of Princeton, Kentucky
• Bryce Briggs of Pilot Point, Texas
• Clay Logan of Granbury, Texas
• Cory Bourque of Abbeville, Louisiana
• Duke Williams of San Marcos, Texas
• Jake Hartman of Advance, North Carolina
• Jennifer Burton of Grayslake, Illinois
• Jestin Simper of Lehi, Utah
• Karl Ladoucer of Mascouche, Quebec
• Katie Dove of Boyd, Texas
• Kevin Oliver of Canyon, Texas
• Kyle Flatter of Greenville, Ohio
• Tim Ketterman of Mount Hope, West Virginia
The team was determined by AQHA members through open voting on a ballot listing current members of the AQHA association of professional horsemen who opted in to the selection process.
For details on having a Team Wrangler clinician conduct a clinic for your next equine event, contact Karen McCuistion at kmccuistion@aqha.org.
AQHA proudly supports our AQHA Professional Horsemen Association. To become an AQHA Professional Horseman, these horsemen and women must agree to adhere to the professional standards of AQHA and to work in a professional manner to further its goals and objectives.
For additional information on Team Wrangler or the AQHA you can visit www.aqha.com.
WESTERN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW
APHA REPORTS DOUBLE THE ENTRIES AT 2024 EVENT IN LAS VEGAS
The 2024 APHA Western National Championship Show, Oct. 3–6, returned to Las Vegas with a bang. Like its Eastern counterpart, the Western National Championship Show saw significant increases, including growth of 71.9 percent in total horses and nearly doubling the number of entries over 2023 numbers.
This year’s event took place at South Point Arena & Equestrian Center in Las Vegas, which will host the Western National Show through 2026. It featured 137 Western National Championship classes and 20 all-around awards, attracting 294 horses and nearly 1,450 entries. International Ranch Horse Association classes paid out nearly $8,000 during the show, as well. Unofficially, the show welcomed more than 90 first-time Western National Show attendees.
“The Western National Championship Show was cer-
tainly one for the books,” Director of Incentive Programs Matt Arias said. “We had a great turnout of exhibitors and horses from all over the Western United States and Canada. Fun activities for exhibitors helped make the show extra fun. We are already looking forward to 2025.”
In addition to competing for national championships and prizes, exhibitors and fans also participated in a Markel/APHA Professional Horsemen Clinic, Ride the Pattern, equine bingo, costume challenge, boot scramble and more. Special thanks to Kimes Ranch, who generously sponsored all Novice Youth and Youth Walk-Trot entry fees, and the California Paint Horse Association, who provided complimentary trailer unloading assistance.
Full results will be posted at apha.com/western-nationalshow.
The 2024 Congress National Youth Activity Team Tournament Awards Ceremony once again held the drawing to award a two-horse trailer donated by 4-Star Trailers as part of the NSBA Foundation’s Susan Scott Memorial Fund Scholarship.
The scholarship is part of the NSBA Foundation’s Youth Of The Year award, which is presented annually to recognize youth for exemplary community service. Awarded to a randomly drawn donor through the “Envelope
Challenge,” this year’s fundraising efforts raised nearly $100,000.
However, an extraordinary act of generosity from this year’s trailer recipient, Devon Martin, of Newport Beach, California, occurred when she donated the trailer back to the NSBA Foundation, providing the opportunity to raise addition funds for the Susan Scott Memorial Fund and the Youth Of The Year Award.
“Devon’s generosity is remarkable, and it’s amazing,” said NSBA Foundation Board Member Nancy Ditty.
“But this horse community as a whole is so amazing too. Devon is not alone –people who have donated big and small have made this program be so successful. I feel like everybody touched it in some way – from the person who purchased an envelope, to Devon donating it back, to 4-Star for donating the trailer.”
Nominations for the 2024 Youth Of The Year will open on Feb. 1. For additional information you can visit www.nsba.com.
The
best relationships are the ones you never saw coming
Call it serendipity.
A young, horse crazy girl who once suffered abuse and neglect herself somehow, perhaps against all odds, finds herself in a safe and loving home and quite by happenstance, ends up rescuing a neglected and possibly abused former show horses.
It’s the stuff of which Hallmark movies are made.
But Alura Ruppert, of Lewisberry, Pennsylvania is no actress and there’s not always a happy ending to her stories.
Alura’s childhood was not a magical one. In fact, it was so bad that at age 9 she found herself in the foster care system.
Fortunately, there she found safety and compassion and discovered her passion for horses.
“I have always had this weird obsession with horses,” she explained. “It was never Barbie dolls ... never anything like that. I always wanted horse toys and I always had this need to be around horses.”
Alura remembers with clarity that when she was around 12 years old she asked her foster mother if she could take riding lessons. It seemed that the only thing keeping her sane at the time was thinking about horses.
“I got down on my knees and prayed to God one night to please let me go somewhere that has horses, and if it's not too much to ask, I'd really like to go to Hershey Park too,” she said.
The very next day, her prayers were answered when Alura’s foster mother told her not to get excited, but while the rest of her foster family was going on vacation, she would be staying with some people who had horses.
That family included Pennsylvania professional trainer Doug Ruppert and his wife, Kristine.
“I ended up here with the Rupperts, and without even asking, my now dad took me to Hershey Park,” Alura said. “Horses and Hershey Park – I was pinching myself.”
Alura’s dream was coming true. She was getting up early before anyone else to feed the horses and she was riding.
“The first day I was here, I filled the grain tubs with water
and my dad had to drill holes in all of them to drain them,” she recalled. “But I learned really fast after that, and my dad and everybody in the barn really took me under their wing.”
When Alura was 14, the Rupperts officially adopted her. By then she was already showing horses right beside her dad. Her first show horse was Golden Circle, a 1987 American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) registered sorrel gelding sired by Zippos Sunny out of Kims Dee Bar. Next she teamed
with Virtually A Chicken, a 2004 sorrel gelding by Virtual Zippo, the AQHA stallion her father stood for years, out of Pass The Chicken.
“I showed him for years,” Alura said. “I did all-around, mostly western, and dabbled in hunt seat sometimes.”
Like everyone else in the show horse industry, Alura was sidelined when the Covid-19 Pandemic swept across the United States and world, shutting down most all horse shows.
One evening in June of 2020, Alura was scrolling through Facebook when she spotted A Bonafide Image, a 2014 AQHA bay colt by Image Matters out of A Perpetual Clue, on a kill pen page.
“I was like, oh my gosh, what is he doing in a kill pen?” Alura said.
After a bit of research Alura found that Bonafide had shown at the AQHA Amateur Select World Show in halter. She sent the information she gathered to a friend and to her dad and then went ahead and bought him with funds from her stimulus check.
When he finally made his way to Alura in Pennsylvania the first thing Alura noted was that he was very skinny. She decided to call him Bond.
“We gelded him because he was very ‘studdy’ and we started trying to get weight on him,” Alura recalled. “Then, he stopped eating altogether shortly after. We had so many problems trying to figure out what he wanted to eat, and we tried supplements to increase his appetite. We really struggled, but finally we put weight on him and decided to start showing him.”
But after just a few horse shows, Alura says things started to unravel again.
“We started to figure out that he had something going on because he was getting super stressed, had high anxiety and after one of the horse shows he colicked,” she explained. “A few weeks later, he colicked again, so immediately we checked him for ulcers and that's exactly what it was.”
Bond was given the entire winter off and when spring rolled around he was once again taken to some local shows but things didn’t go as planned.
“Bond started to freak out on the trailer, wouldn’t eat at shows and then colicked again at that same horse show even though we had him on Ulcerguard,” Alura said. “He just has like a lot of anxiety about leaving the property or getting onto
a trailer or horse showing. So, I said, ‘he's not going to any more horse shows – Why put him through that?’”
Instead, Bond is now living out the rest of his life on the Ruppert farm.
But that was not the end of Alura’s journey. In fact, it was just the beginning. It was Bond, who inspired Alura’s next rescue and who Bonded By Strength, the 501c3 rescue, she founded in 2021 is named.
“I honestly can't say that when I got Bond I planned to start a rescue,” Alura admitted. “I had no idea I was going to start a rescue. It was a very spur of the moment, and I was just trying to help that one horse. And then, I had a friend contact me two weeks later with another halter stallion that was in a local kill pen.”
The horse Alura’s friend called her about once was owned by AQHA leading breeder Rita Crundwell, who as city comptroller of Dixon, Illinois, stole $53 million of public funds across 20 years – making her the perpetrator of the largest case of municipal fraud in American History.
“The horse was incredibly lame and going for only $250,” Alura explained. “We got him and we tried to do everything we could for his feet – he was so club footed. The bones were crushing in on his feet. But we got weight on him, and we got him pretty sound.”
The new rescue was nicknamed Dixon and when Alura started digging into Dixon’s past she discovered a former owner who purchased him from Crundwell before finding himself in a bad situation.
Alura’s friend took the young stallion back to her farm in Texas.
“That’s really when the rescue started, because I figured out that we could get these horses, rehab them and then find their past connections,” Alura said. “I was like, I can do this. I can help these horses because I have the connections and I have the knowledge.”
But there was more to it than that.
“I felt a kinship of my past to what these horses have been through, and I wouldn't be who I am without horses,” Alura said. “Horses saved me so I feel like I owe them.”
Alura Ruppert is pictured on the opposite page with the first horse she rescued, A Bonafide Image after she nurtured him back to health. The picture top left shows what he looked like when Alura first rescued him. Alura is also shown on the opposite page (bottom left) with her dad, trainer Doug Ruppert at an AQHA show and showing Sweet Talk Me Good in Longe Line at a Pennsylvania AQHA show. Pictured on this page is Alura’s next save, Dixon shown after rehab and (inset) just after being pulled from a kill pen. s
Saving one horse won’t change the world, but it will change the world for that one horse.
When she first began the rescue officially after that, Ruppert was pulling most of the horses from kill pens. But now, her strategy for saving horses is a bit different.
“Over the years I’ve gained some knowledge, and now know it's not such a great idea to get horses from kill pens because you're just putting money into their pockets to go buy more,” Alura explained. Here and there, I will get one from a kill pen if they have papers or something, and I try to help as many horses as I can.”
As a general rule, Alura’s team now focuses on attending auctions to attempt to save horses before the kill buyers and traders can get their hands on them.
“We do take owner surrenders as well from people who just can't afford them or people who can't afford to euthanize them and they're at that point in their life,” Alura said.
If a horse is an owner surrender, it typically goes right to the rescue, since those horses have been well cared for to that point in most cases. Any intakes from auction, however, go to a separate farm where they are quarantined for a minimum of 30 days, and more often than not, up to 60 days.
“In quarantine, they will have their initial vetting,” Alura explained. “This may include general blood work, worming, and things like that. Some are more in depth, but overall, we just want to figure out what’s wrong with them. Many aren’t comfortable enough to show you they are sick or what’s wrong until a few weeks later. Sometimes, we find we have major behavioral issues.”
Stallions and pregnant mares are most frequently among the horses rescued by Bonded By Strength.
“I think that's our specialty, because it's just something that we do,” Alura said. “My dad has bred horses for a long time, so we tend to get pregnant mares or stallions.”
It was, in fact, a pregnant mare that proved to be Ruppert’s toughest rescue case to date.
“Frigg, who was only my third rescue, was a pregnant mare that I got out of Texas and she had a shattered pelvis,” she explained. “I had her vetted down there, and she had to quarantine before I could ship her. I was told she needed to be euthanized.”
But the mare was only 30 days from foaling and Ruppert wanted to do every-
thing in her power to save the foal, despite knowing how challenging it would be.
“I decided not to euthanize her, and I stayed in close contact with the quarantine guy before she came home.” Alura said.
When the mare finally made it to Pennsylvania, she was still so skinny that there were times Alura doubted she would make it. As what she thought was Frigg’s due day approached Alura grew even more apprehensive, especially when she learned her dad was being called out of town.
“I checked on her one morning, and there were little feet sticking out,” Alura recalled. “Dad was still out of town and up until then I had never pulled a foal as all of my previous mares foaled on their own, without assistance. I didn’t even know what I was doing.”
But Alura’s dad coached her through the experience on the phone.
“He told me to grab the legs and pull down toward her (the mare’s) hocks,” she explained. “After some heart pounding moments during foaling, the baby started breathing.”
But they were not out of danger yet. Frigg was taking a very long time to get up and Alura wondered if they would have to humanely euthanize her right then and there.
“She finally got up, and we were all shocked,” she said. “Luckily, we got this mare comfortable enough to raise her baby. She was the most protective momma mare I've ever met in my life.”
Frigg’s baby was named Baldr and at four months old he was weaned to help Frigg as best as possible. Unfortunately she ended up being put down not long after because she was in so much pain and the medicine was no longer helping to keep her comfortable.
Baldr, however, grew up to be a really cool horse and was eventually adopted by a caring family.
“He is with his owner at college and was even a part of her wedding,” Ruppert said.
And that’s the happy ending Alura is always hoping for.
Perhaps her greatest success story to date started with the rescue of a Quarter Horse gelding named Samson.
“Samson was a stallion when we got him last year, and he was incredibly sick,” she explained. “He was in the hospital for two weeks.”
Bonded By Strength had Samson for six months before rehoming him because he was so thin and his injuries so severe.
“He had this hip injury that took so long to heal,” Alura
explained. “It was a puncture wound that went down to the bone in his hip.”
But with patience, consistent care and help from veterinarians, Samson, who is registered with the AQHA, was eventually ready to move on to a safe home.
“By the time that he left us, you would have never known he was a rescue horse,” Alura said. “He looked spectacular and he was adopted by a lady named Mary. He has the absolute best home now.”
And that’s the mission: to rescue and rehabilitate abused, neglected and at-risk equines; to provide shelter, care, medical and rehabilitation services to equines in need, and whenever possible, place them in loving and permanent homes. Equines that cannot be placed are given permanent sanctuary so that they may live the remainder of their lives in safety and dignity.
But all of that is not possible without donations and the assistance of an enormous support system.
“I have the most amazing veterinarian, Dr. Essie,” Alura said. “She's just so good knowing what they need and in the most humane and caring way without unnecessarily running up my vet bill. Regular volunteers help me with feed, quarantine, cleaning, grooming, etc. And then we have my dad, who's a rock star. He is vital because he has so much knowledge to share.”
Bonded By Strength Rescue is funded completely by donations, as there are not many grants out there for horse rescues.
“I have no idea how much we've spent on the rescue,.” Alura said. “We are all donation based, and I work two other jobs to pay my bills. Nobody gets paid here. We're all volunteers just trying to save these horses.”
Alura plans to expand her rescue to save every horse she can. You can find out more by visiting the Bonded By Strength Facebook page. Donations can be made via PayPal, Venmo and Zelle to help with the many horses in their care and with their rehoming. Direct payments to the rescue’s veterinarian can also be made to assist with medical care.
Pictured on the opposite page is Frigg, Bonded By Strength’s toughest rescue case to date, and her foal Baldr. Below that Frigg is pictured at the time of her rescue. One of the rescue’s most successful cases came with Samson, pictured on this page after his rehab and (inset) at the time of his rescue.
Over $1 million in cash, prizes awarded at 2024 Ocala event
Over $1 million in cash and prizes was awarded during the 2024 Championship Show, at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida.
The 10-day event featured American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) classes and National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) futurity contests Sept. 6-15.
The highlight of the show was the $100,000 NSBA Senior Trail, which drew a total of 26 competitors and featured a pattern stacked with over 100 poles, designed by Tim Kimura. Riders were not permitted to practice over poles for 24 hours prior to the start of the class.
When the judging was complete Hot Lopin Lily and Blake Weis were declared the winners, taking home a check for $40,000.
Weis took a unique approach.
“We did a lot of mental work. I walked around the barn this morning and sat on her during horsemanship, mentally
letting her look around and take everything in,” he explained.
The Arizona trainer said the most challenging part of the course was the walks at the end of the course.
“They were tough because of the water boxes beside them,” he said. “The angle was tricky, and the left blue poles on the diagonals were hard to get through.”
Hot Lopin Lily is a 2017 bay mare, sired by RL Best Of Sudden out of Shes A Lopin Machine, and is owned by the Cavallo Family Trust.
“She’s a blessing to our family,” said Caroline Cavallo. “She gives her all every time she steps into the pen. She’s a true show horse, and she just keeps getting better.”
Text Corrine S. Borton Photos Shane Rux
Reserve in the class was A Soxy Dream, a 2013 mare by A Dream Remembered out of Roxie Soxy, owned by Angela Wade and shown by Anthony Montes, They earned $20,000.
Other Trail Class winners included:
Limited Rider Senior Trail (19 shown) - Ur Ride Has Arrived, owned by Emma Brown, shown by Judd Paul, $10,000.
3-Year-Old Trail (10 shown) - Stillrockinthehouse, owned by Becky Crider Durrett, shown by Nick Mayabb, $8,000.
3-Year-Old Limited Open Trail (5 shown) - Pennyforyourthoughts, owned by Chayenne Augsburger, shown by Justin Wheeler, $2,000.
3-Year-Old Non-Pro Trail (6 shown) - Pennyforyourthoughts, owned and shown by Cheyenne Augsburger, $5,000.
3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Trail (5 shown) - Pennyforyourthoughts, owned and shown by Cheyenne Augsburger, $1,000.
4 & 5-Year-Old Open Trail (25 shown) - Dark Ladie, owned by Mary Alice Nielson, shown by Blake Weis, $1,250.
4 & 5-Year-Old Limited Open Trail (11 shown) - South Beech, owned by Kate Upton, shown by Becky George, $1,000.
4 & 5-Year-Old Non-Pro Trail (12 shown) - Magically Made, owned and shown by Lacey Armstrong, $5,000.
4 & 5-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Trail (12 shown)Magically Made, owned and shown by Lacey Armstrong, $1,000.
Green Trail (13 shown) - Stoppin Traffic, owned by Robin Shiflett, shown by Nick Mayabb, $3,700.
Color All-Age Open Trail (8 shown) - Rockin In My Sleep, owned by Chelsea Martz-Churches, shown by Jennifer Paul, $1,250.
Color All Age Non Pro Trail (6 shown): Rumors Inthe Dark, owned by Stephanie Janis, shown by Sabrina Janis, $1,250.
Ranch
Bud Lyon of Whitesboro, Texas, scored a hat trick at the 2024 Championship Show, taking home three featured class wins in Ranch Riding. Lyon finished off his successful trip with a tie for first in the $35,000 Open Ranch Riding Challenge, with 30 entries. He tied for first aboard Sumac Gunnabeflashy, a 2017 gelding by Gunnatrashya out of Chics Graceful Whiz, owned by Leslie Vagneur Lange, and Monte Freeman’s 2020 stallion Nic The Whiz, by Spooks Gotta Whiz out of Hollynic collecting two $8,500 checks. Lyon and Sumac Gunnabeflashy also won the Senior Ranch Riding and Lyon also teamed with They Not Like Us, a 2021 gelding by Electric Snow out of Lil Night Rider that he owns along with Kim Lyon. to win the $35,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Ranch Riding and another check for $9,000. s
Pictured across the top is Hot Lopin Lily and Blake Weis, winners of the $100,000 NSBA Senior Trail at the Championship Show. Lower, (left to right): Jamie Dowdy showing Good Miss Breeze in the $2,500 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure; Kevin Dukes showing Happy As A Lark in Open Pleasure Driving; Amy Boudreau showing Quick Dun N Steady in L1 Amateur Select Showmanship; Jessee Jones showing Easy Peazy in the 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle.
“We’re so grateful to the World Equestrian Center and Mrs. Roberts for giving us this platform and this type of prize money that we haven’t really seen before in our discipline, except for a few other opportunities. It’s been amazing. We love everything about the facility and the chance to show in this arena.”
Madison Hayden Rafacz dominated the $20,000 NonPro Ranch Riding Challenge claiming both first and second place and receiving a $1,000 bonus for being the highest point-scoring Youth rider.
Rafacz guided her own 2012 gelding Whizenboonsmal, sired by Peptoleap out of She Whiz A Star, to first place, collecting a check for $6,000. She also teamed with Got Twisted In Vegas, a 2017 mare by High Roller Whiz out of Whimpys Dun Twistin to claim second place and an additional $3,500.
and a 96 in the handy, securing the top prize and a check for $3,700.
Rafacz said Whizenboonsmal is a special horse. “He is perfect,” she exclaimed. “His nickname is ‘Peter the Great.’ He actually came to me with that nickname when I bought him, and he’s lived up to the name. He is a special animal. Every time I need him to show up, he’s there.”
Other Ranch winners include:
Non-Pro Ranch Riding (2 shown) - They Not Like Us, owned by Kim & Bob Lyon and shown by Kim Lyon, $3,700.
OVER FEnCES
In the $10,000 NSBA Non-Pro Hunter Derby, Alexis Jessee teamed with her own 2017 gelding Krowd Pleaser (Calvin), a 2017 gelding by Natural Iron out of Toast To Madaar to dominate the class with an impressive two-round total of 182.
“I have had Calvin for two years,” she said. “He’s just an amazing animal. He’s been a little bit of a baby, and we’ve had to work through some stuff, but now he’s really showing what he can do and he’s been great this week.”
Jessee was especially pleased with how he performed in the Derby.
“I was really happy with him. He was a little spooky indoors, but out here, he was just great – soft, and he jumped really well.”
For the handy round, Jessee had a plan.
“I wanted to be a little handier than usual,” she explained. “This is only my second derby with him, so I’ve been practicing turns and stuff at home. We got to show off a bit today, and the hard work is definitely paying off.”
Jessee and Krowd Pleaser earned an 86 in the first round
In the Open Hunter Derby Morgan Ratkowski piloted Better By The Minit to a win, also collecting a check for $3,700.
Ratkowski owns the 19-year-old gelding by Do You Have A Minute out of Tickle My Asset and said she was pleased with his performance, especially since he’s had some time off, and he didn’t miss a beat.
“The first round was really good,” she said. “It’s been a year since I’ve shown him, but he just floated around. He knows his job, I just try to stay out of his way.”
Their first round was smooth earning a top score of 86.
For the handy round, Ratkowski had a clear strategy.
“I wanted to get out of his way because the handy is his shining point,” she explianed. “He knows what I’m thinking before I even ask. That’s really why we come and play in the derbies, because that’s the fun stuff for him. I aimed for a clean trip, took all the high options, and stayed as tidy and handy as possible.”
The pair delivered once again, earning another impressive score of 96, bringing their two-round total to 182 and securing the win.
WESTERn PLEASURE
Maturity Limited Open Western Pleasure (15 shown) –Never Have I Ever, owned by Kent Ray Taylor, shown by Mirko Mueller, $3,700.
$5,000 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure (9 shown) – Sarahenade, owned by Jane Elsa Damaske, shown by Cody Parrish, $3,700.
Maturity Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure (9 shown) –Battarang, owned and shown by Lane Kail, $3,700.
$2,500 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure (8 shown)
– Good Miss Breeze, owned by Vicki Pugh, shown by Jamie Dowdy, $6,000.
$25,000 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure (8 shown) – Butch Cassidie, owned by Patricia Lennon, shown by Aaron Moses, $3,700.
Maturity $25,000 Limited Horse Non-Pro Western Pleasure (6 shown) – Thunderstruckkk, owned and shown by Jessica Baird, $3,700.
3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure (4 shown) – Hart To Hart, owned by Barbara Bouma, shown by Aaron Moses, $5,000.
3-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure (8 shown) –Hart To Hart, owned by Barbara Bouma, shown by Kyra Ley, $1,250.
3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure (4 shown) – Forever Twisted, owned by Ditty Up LLC, shown by Nancy Ditty, $3,700.
3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure (4 shown) – Hart To Hart, owned and shown by Barbara Bouma, $1,250.
3-Year-Old 50 & Over Non-Pro Western Pleasure (3 shown) – Hart To Hart, owned and shown by Barbara Bouma, $3,700.
3 & 4-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure (3 shown) – Sophisticated Sophie, owned by Gorman & Alice Barger, shown by Jeff Cochran, $1,250.
Maturity $10,000 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure (7 shown) – Lopin For Coronas, owned by Courtney Archer, shown by Dave Archer, $2,850.
Maturity Non-Pro Western Pleasure (8 shown) – Never Have I Ever, owned and shown by Kent Ray Taylor, $6,000.
Three/Four Year Old Open Western Pleasure (6 shown) –Waffle House, owned by Karen Wood, shown by Katy Jo Zuidema, $6,000.
Novice Horse Open Western Pleasure (6 shown) – Doubl Or Nothin, owned by Rick Smith, shown by Erin Lieurance, $650.
Maturity Open Western Pleasure (5 shown) – Air Ryde, owned by Anita Wiescamp, shown by Aaron Moses, $5,000.
Maturity $5,000 Limited Horse Non-Pro Western Pleasure (5 shown) – Lopin For Coronas, owned and shown by Courtney Archer, $3,700.
Maturity $10,000 Limited Horse Non-Pro Western Pleasure (5 shown) – Lopin For Coronas, owned and shown by Courtney Archer, $3,700.
Color All Age Open Hunter Under Saddle (5 shown) –Wellthereyougo, owned by Renee Beau Norleen, shown by Jamie Dowdy, $1,250.
Color All-Age Color Non-Pro Western Pleasure (3 shown) – Never Have I Ever, owned and shown by Kent Ray Taylor, $1,250.
HUnTER UnDER SADDLE
Maturity Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle (11 shown) – Wait Andd See, owned by Haley Plumb, shown by Morgan Ilic, $1,250.
3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle (8 shown) – Defunded, owned and shown by Ellen Hillyer, $3,700.
Maturity Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle (8 shown) – No Time For Kisses, owned and shown by Rachel Smit, $650.
Three Year Old Open Hunter Under Saddle (6 shown) –Easy Peazy, owned by Flentje Enterprises, shown by Jessee Jones, $5,000.
3-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle (7 shown) - Easy Peazy, owned by Flentje Enterprises, shown by Jessee Jones, $3,700.
3-Year-Old Non Pro Hunter Under Saddle (7 shown) –Easy Peazy, owned by Flentje Enterprises, shown by Kara Flentje, $3,700.
Maturity Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle (7 shown) – Im Willy Fabulous, owned and shown by Sandra Morgan, $3,700.
3 & 4-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle (6 shown) –In Pats Honor, owned by Erin Shapiro Boatwright, shown by Keith Miller, $5,000.
Maturity Open Hunter Under Saddle (6 shown) – Im Willy Good Today, owned by Madeleine M. Bayless, shown by Keith Miller, $5,000.
3 & 4-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle (5 shown) – Im Willy Fabulous, owned and shown by Sandra Morgan, $1,250.
Color All-Age Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle (3 shown) – Unbridle Your Dreams, owned and shown by Susan Renee Phillips, $1,250.
For more information on The Championship Show, including complete results, visit the Ocala World Equestrian Center’s website at www.worldequestriancenter.com or An Equine Production at www.anequineproduction.com.
Pictured on the opposite page is Bud Lyon showing Sumac Gunnabeflashy, for owner Leslie Lange, in the $35,000 Open Ranch Riding Challenge. On this page, Alexis Jessee guides Krowd Pleaser to a win in the $10,000 NSBA Non-Pro Hunter Derby, with an impressive two-round score of 182.
Ch��na B�ntn�
Ohio trainer tries to remember to slow down and enjoy where she is at this point in life
Text Corrine S. Borton Photos Shane Rux & Hannah Draughan
Find joy in the ordinary. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in chasing down these big lofty goals or accomplishments, and while it’s good to aspire to those things… sometimes you need to slow down and take a moment to enjoy where you are in life.
It’s the best advice Ohio professional trainer Christine Brantner ever got and she says those words are always in the back of her mind.
Her journey to become a professional trainer was not an easy one. Growing up in the Olympia, Washington area, her family was not involved in the horse industry at all.
“I had a friend who had pony rides at a birthday party back when we were maybe five or so, and after that I was hooked. It wasn’t until I was about 10 years old that my parents finally caved and let me take regular riding lessons, and then a few years later got my first horse. I showed in 4H and high school equestrian team, and tried to ride in just about every event/discipline I possibly could.”
By then, Brantner knew she wanted to be a horse trainer but she didn’t know exactly how to go about it.
“I had a friend at the barn whose mom suggested I check out the University of Findlay because she thought it would be a perfect fit for me,” she explained. “I originally went for the English Equestrian Program but switched to western after attending a colt breaking session during sophomore year. It was at the western farm that I got an introduction into the Quarter Horse world. I eventually attended the Quarter Horse Congress and knew then I wanted to be able to train and compete there and at that level.”
While at Findlay, Brantner soaked up every bit of riding time she could. She stayed over breaks for extra riding, worked in the barns and took on extra horse assignments for class. She competed on the Varsity Huntseat and Western Equestrian teams, gaining still more time in the saddle. Brantner was selected Outstanding Western Equestrian Student for her class and the Coca Cola Scholar Athlete recipient her senior year on the Western Equestrian Team. My junior year I was selected to represent AQHA and The University of Findlay through the International Horsemanship Camp Program.
After completing two Bachelor of Science degreesone in Equestrian Studies with an emphasis on Western Riding and Training and the other in Equine Business Management - there was a position open for a graduate assistant for the Western Equestrian Program, which helped
fund graduate studies, so she stayed at Findlay for two more years to complete her Master of Business Administration degree with a focus in Organizational Leadership.
“Clark Bradley (coach of Findlay’s Western team) got me a job working for Randy Wilson after my senior year of undergraduate school,” she said.
Brantner worked for Wilson each summer and during
the Congress while she worked as a graduate assistant and then full time after receiving her MBA in 2017.
“In 2016, at the Little Buckeye, the day before the class, Randy told me I was showing a horse in the Junior Western Pleasure,” she explained. “It was overwhelming to say the least.”
Brantner realized then that if she wanted to make it at the level she dreamed about, she would have to dedicate herself and put in the work and time to really commit to that goal.
“From horse training and barn management, medical and preventative care, to navigating horse shows, handling business operations, and getting an introduction to judging, I don’t think a day went by where I didn’t learn something new,” she recalled.
While working for Wilson, Brantner got the opportunity to ride and show such decorated horses as: Only On A Sundi, seventh the $2,500 Novice Horse class at the 2018 Quarter Horse Congress; PSU Certain Hope, winner of the Limited Division of the Virginia Maiden; Lazy On The Rocks, winner of a money added Green Western Pleasure at Gordyville; Loping Down The Line, bronze champion in the 3-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure at the NSBA World Show; Willy Nillie, winner of the 2021 Congress Super Sale 2-YearOld Limited Open Western Pleasure Stakes class and Moola, winner of the 2021 Congress Super Sale 3-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure Stakes class.
This past March Brantner established Christina Brantner
Christina Brantner is pictured on the opposite page with Ice Cream Sundi. At top she is shown riding Lazy On The Rocks and at the bottom she is shown with Willy Nillie at the 2021 Congress. On this page Brantner is pictured (top) performing with her high school chamber choir and with Moola at the 2021 Congress.
Performance Horses at Hollowell Stables, a private facility in Piqua, Ohio. Situated on 18 acres, the facility includes a heated barn with 28 matted stalls, an indoor arena, hay storage, a large outdoor arena, hot walker, six small turnout lots, and six large pastures. She specializes in the preparation of Western Pleasure futurity horses and western all-around competitors.
“I really cannot thank Randy enough for everything he taught me in my years working for his program,” Brantner said. “He knew what my goals were and he knew how much work I was going to have to put in to get there-so he definitely expected a high level of focus and dedication to the program,” she said. “It instilled such a strong work ethic, and it made me feel really prepared for the transition into running my own business.”
One of Brantner’s first customers was Stephanie Boyles, who showed heavily as a youth and then took a 20-plus year break before getting involved again.
Ironically, Boyles sent a horse to the University of Findlay that was assigned to Brantner her senior year in the fall semester of 2014.
“At the NSBA World Show in 2022, after asking her friends and talking with people about how she wanted to get back into showing with a futurity horse, she decided to approach Randy to see if he would be willing to assist,” Brantner explained. “She was then surprised to find out that I was his assistant.
Wilson and Brantner helped Boyles look for a prospect for about a year and Brantner helped her find Ice Cream Sundi, a bay mare by Lazy Loper out of Invite Me On Sundi, at the 2023 Congress Super Sale.
“What started as a random assignment in 2014 turned into Stephanie becoming my first official customer and the owner of my entry for the 2-Year-Old Maiden and 2-Year-Old Super Sale Stakes Class at my first Congress out on my own,” Brantner explained.
Brantner and Ice Cream Sundi placed third in the Congress Super Sale 2-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure Stakes class and Boyles will get her turn to ride her next year.
When she is not riding, Brantner enjoys anything musical. In high school she was a member of Chamber Choir, the school’s ‘elite’ a capella group.
“I play piano, violin, and dabbled with guitar. When I have a chance, I like to go to concerts and musicals, and I enjoy hiking, fishing and swimming,” she said.
You can reach out to Brantner by calling (360) 250-2714 or via Christina Brantner Performance horses LLC on Facebook.
Open Profiles are part of InStride Edition’s editorial content. If you know someone who would make a good subject for a professional profile email Corrine Borton, Editor, at: CorrineBorton@InStrideEdition.com. ttt
Juli�ne H�nig
Minnesota competitor gets special thrill from showing horses she raised
Text Corrine S. Borton Photos Ruehl Photographix
For Julianne Hornig there’s just something special about riding and showing a horse you raised yourself.
In fact, both of her current show partners are second generation horses raised at Hornig Farms, the farm she owns and manages in Maple Plain, Minnesota.
Hornig campaigns the dual registered American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and American Paint Horse Association (APHA) Lopin For The Ladies (AQHA)/Heslopinfortheladys (APHA) , a 2015 black gelding by Lazy Loper out of Always The Lady, in Trail, Horsemanship and Western Riding.
She also shows Hes Al Right (Joe), a 2017 chestnut gelding sired by Allocate Yous Assets out of Hornig’s mare, Only Blue Miracles (by Only Blue Sky), in Amateur Hunter Under Saddle classes.
In June she accomplished what she says is her greatest achievement in the show pen by earning a Reserve Intermedi
ate Championship in Hunter Under Saddle with Heslopinfortheladys at the APHA World Championship Show in Fort Worth, Texas.
“It felt great,” Hornig said.
Hornig competes at both AQHA and APHA sanctioned events and gets help from Nebraska trainer Micah Hansen and Iowa trainer Denton DeBuhr. She says Trail is currently her favorite class because she’s fairly new to it. Her goal is to improve in both Trail and Western Riding.
Julianne Hornig is pictured on the opposite page (top) competing in Trail at the 2024 APHA World Show with Heslopinfortheladys and in her win shot from the show with her trainer Micah Hansen. On this page (clockwise from top) Hornig is pictured on a vacation in Italy with her sister and neices; working Joe at home; and with her neice, Alexa McMerty, who also shows, at the AQHA Level 1 West Championship Show in Las Vegas.
“Julianne is a great person and wonderful client,” Hansen said. “She always puts the wellbeing of her horses above anything else. She loves the process of building a great horse and will not ever push a horse to do something to soon.”
Hansen insists Hornig wants to get better and better with every ride and will find positives no matter how the ride goes.
“She has a big heart and loves to help no matter what is asked from her,” he said.
But for Hansen the mission is something far different.
“I show because of the challenge I get from it,” she said.
Hornig’s attraction to horses and showing was sparked when she was in the third grade and attended an overnight horse camp at Little Elk Ranch with her sister Jennifer.
“I loved it but she did not,” Hornig laughed. “Later at an open show at Trail Dusters in Hamel, Minnesota I met Colleen Johnson at the barn I was at. She got me involved in showing.”
Hornig’s first show partner was Mr. Beau Bentley, a palomino gelding sired by Daddys Carbo Copy out of Sweet Bonnie Star.
“I earned both Youth and Amateur championships with him in PHBA (Palomino Horse Breeders of America),” she said.
The daughter of Gary and Sandy Hornig, Julianne attended Poplar Bridge Elementary, in Bloomington, Minnesota, where she was in a bowling league. She graduated from Jefferson High School in Bloomington in 1996 and then attended Dakota County Technical School, earning an associate degree in interior design in 2002. While in school she enjoyed softball and downhill skiing.
But these days Hornig finds delight in working with and showing horses she has known since their arrival on her family’s farm.
“Many people have influenced me and supported me in my horse show career,” she said. “The most important people though are my parents who have always been there for me and supported my dreams of owning, breeding and showing horses.”
Amateur Profiles are part of InStride Edition’s editorial content. If you know someone who would make a good subject for an Amateur profile email Corrine Borton, Editor, at: CorrineBorton@InStrideEdition.com
BUZZ
AQHA STALLION HOT DIGGITY JOE PASSES AT THE AGE OF 26
(IN) LIFE
AQHA and NSBA competitor Alicia Ritzema married Jacob Matthies on Sept. 14, at Etre Farms, in St. Joseph, Michigan. Alicia studied Logistics/Supply Chain Management and Business Economics at Grand Valley State University, in Allendale, Michigan. Jacob attended Lawton Community Schools and is Vice President at McDonald’s Towing. The couple resides in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Thw Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) recently elected Board of Directors members from each of the six ApHC territories. Board of Directors elected include Richard Maggard (Territory I), Brent Woolery (Territory II), Nicholas Beil (Territory III), Sean Schembri (Territory IV), Theron McCammond (Territory V), and Lori Wunderlich (Territory VI). Each of these Board of Directors will serve a four-year term and will begin their term of service on Jan. 1.
(IN) BUSINESS
HIS FOALS HAVE EARNED OVER 6,185 AQHA POINTS AND LOGGED $102,362 IN EARNINGS
Multiple Congress Champion and Reserve American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World Champion producer Hot Diggity Joe was humanely euthanized on Sept. 20, in Ocala, Florida, following a brief battle with congestive heart failure.
The 1998 sorrel stallion, sired by Blazing Hot and out of Jodie Fivette, was bred by and owned his entire life by Kerry Bradac, first at her North Dakota’s Bradac Ranch and for the past 12 years at her Bradac Ranch South in Ocala.
A multiple Quarter Horse Congress Champion and AQHA World Show Top Five, Joe had earnings just shy of $19,000 and earned 499 AQHA points over the course of his career in a wide variety of events, including Hunter Under Saddle, Western Pleasure, Hunter Hack, Pleasure Driving, Trail and Halter. One of just a few stallions to earn superiors in both Hunter Under Saddle and Western Pleasure, he also won a Congress Championship in Halter. Joe was retired from showing at age 11.
“I have been very blessed to have him in my life. And what makes our story even more special is that I raised him from a foal,” Bradac said. “I have been there for EVERY milestone along the way. As a show horse, he had both heart and grit. When we were both exhausted hauling for those last few qualifying points, he always gave 110%. He was one that absolutely LOVED going to the shows, and I was lucky to be the one showing him.”
Joe was also well-known for siring foals that perform in a wide variety of events. Joe offspring were AQHA Youth World Champions, National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) World Champions and Congress Champions. Of his 230 AQHA foals, 63 were performers, earning 6,185 AQHA points and logging $102,362 in earnings. Ten Joe foals earned AQHA superior awards and 85
were Register Of Merit award winners.
Some of his most decorated foals include: A Diggin Hot Time, Congress Small Fry High Point winner, AQHA Youth World Show winner and NSBA World Champion with 583 AQHA points; A Diggity Hot Sound, multiple Congress Top 10 earner of 340 AQHA points; And Then They Danced, AQHA Youth World Show winner, AQHA and NSBA High-Point champion, multiple Congress Top 10 earner with 112 AQHA points; and Hot Diggity Dew, multiple Palomino Horse Breeders of America Honor Roll Champion; The Next Hot Thing, Luke N Hot, What Does D Fox Say, Girls Dig Me were all Congress Top Ten Champions. Joe was burried at Bradac Ranch South in Ocala.
Lynn Hickey was recently appointed as the first Deputy Director of the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA). She joins as the Deputy Director, assisting Samantha Huge as they spearhead NCEA Leadership. Hickey began her career in intercollegiate sports as a women’s basketball coach with stints at the University of Oklahoma, Kansas State University, and Texas A&M University. During her administrative tenure at Texas A&M, she assisted in initiating the start of the sport of equestrian to Aggieland. Hickey was named the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators 2005 Division I-AAA Administrator of the Year.
NSBA WELCOMES THREE NEW RIDERS INTO QUARTER MILLION DOLLAR CLUB KRISTEN GALYEAN, PATRICK HEELEY AND CODY PARRISH REACH MILESTONE AT 2024 CONGRESS
The National Snaffle Bit Association recently welcomed Kristen Galyean, Patrick Heeley, and Cody Parrish as the newest members of its Quarter Million Dollar Club. Each reached the milestone of more than $250,000 in lifetime NSBA earnings at the All American Quarter Horse Congress.
Galyean of Claremore, Oklahoma, began her show career as a youth exhibitor and will be forever linked to NSBA Hall Of Fame mare, Vital Signs Are Good, whom she showed as a Youth and Amateur. Kristen would go on to show the second and third generations following
‘Lucy,’ including VS Code Red, VS Flatline, VS Lady In Red, VS Phantom Code, and VS The Fireman along with many other offspring. While her earnings were predominately in the Western Pleasure arena, she also has earnings in Hunter Under Saddle and Western Riding.
A native of Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, Heeley resides in Van Meter, Iowa and reached the achievement showing such horses as Certainly Best Bar, Simply My Goodbar, Slim Shady, Hashtag Hunting, Pretty Hurts and Shes A Wicked. Heeley’s focus is in Western Pleasure, however, his earnings were also accumu-
lated in Longe Line and Western Riding. Parrish grew up in and remains in Pavo, Georgia, where he is the third generation of horsemen and women in his family. His roots run deep in Western Pleasure but you will also see Parrish in the Western Riding arena as well. Parrish has trained and shown such horses as All The Sudden, NSBA 2016 Horse of the Year Lexus Made Lady, After Midniite, Sarahenade, Gun Smokke, Just To B Cool, Girl Crush, Tallk To Me Goose, Single For The Night, Made The Right Bet, Lopin Lexus, Pistol Packin Mann, Suddens Made Mann, A Cowboy For You and Fiire N Ice.
LEMON LAWS by Katherine Jarve
Whether they apply to the sale of a horse depends on several factors, including location
Late fall and winter are popular times of the year for horses to be bought and sold. In fact, many are sold at the Quarter Horse Congress and American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World Show. Unfortunately, sometimes a new horse doesn’t work out for one reason or another. Many people are familiar with Lemon Laws as they apply to the sale of cars. But what happens if you buy a horse that turns out to be a “lemon?” Is there any legal recourse? The answer will vary depending on the facts of your case.
What is a “lemon” horse? A “lemon” will mean different things to different horse owners. Typically, it relates to misrepresentation of the health of a horse such as lameness. However, it can also relate to behavioral issues, overall temperament, or some other known characteristic that would make the horse dangerous or unsuitable for the buyer.
What are Lemon Laws? Lemon laws are traditionally applicable in the context of the sale of used vehicles. Although the laws vary by state, they generally provide protection to buyers of vehicles that repeatedly fail to meet certain standards of quality and performance. Lemon laws have expanded to cover the transactions of certain pets including dogs. However, typically, horses are not considered pets and these types of lemon laws do not apply. Presently, Florida is the only state with a specific lemon law related to the sale of horses. The Florida Equine Lemon Law requires sellers to provide certain disclosures about the horse’s health and history, and buyers have a limited time to seek recourse if they discover a problem with the horse.
written contract. If there is no written sale agreement, the parties will have to rely on other evidence to prove their case. This evidence includes the testimony of witnesses, photographs, veterinary reports and records, videos, texts, e-mails, and social media posts.
If a buyer is successful in a breach of contact claim, then they may be entitled to a recission of the contract as well as damages from the seller for the economic losses incurred as a result of the sale.
(2) Uniform Commercial Code. The UCC provides a set of rules and regulations governing commercial transactions, including the sale of personal property such as horses. The UCC is based upon contract law. To maintain a claim under the UCC, generally the following requirements must be met: (a) the seller must be in the business of selling horses on a regular
Lemon laws have expanded to cover the transactions of certain pets including dogs. However, typically, horses are not considered pets and these types of lemon laws do not apply.
basis, (b) the purchase price must be more than $500, and (3) the contract must be in writing.
Are there other laws? Of course, many horse sales do not occur in Florida. Nevertheless, the are several other legal avenues that you can pursue if the purchase of a horse goes bad. Here are some of the more common ones.
(1) Breach of Contract. A breach of contract occurs when a party to a contract fails to uphold his or her part of the agreement. Breach of contract claims often turn on the specific terms of each individual contract since they reflect the expectations of the parties. For this reason, the language in the sale contract should be as specific and detailed as possible. Otherwise, exclusionary language (i.e. “sold as is” or “seller disclaims any warranties”) may be a viable defense by the seller against any verbal promises a buyer thinks were made. Of course, this assumes that there is a written sale agreement.
It goes without saying that many horse sales do not involve a written sale agreement. While a claim for breach of a verbal contract is possible, it is much more difficult than if there is a
Claims made under the UCC often involve a horse’s failure to be suitable for a particular rider. For example, a buyer relies upon the representations of a seller that a horse is suitable as a walk-trot horse for a young rider. Under the UCC, the horse must be fit for the particular purpose for which it is intended. The seller must know what the buyer is looking to use the horse for (i.e. a walk-trot horse) and is relying on the seller’s judgment to supply a horse that’s suitable for that purpose. This creates an implied warranty. If this implied warranty is breached, then the buyer may have legal recourse.
Of course, there are certain defenses available to a seller under the UCC. The seller may argue that the buyer was not relying upon the seller’s judgment. For example, a buyer, who is a reputable horse trainer, may have a difficult case if they may be considered equally or more knowledgeable than the seller as to the horse’s suitability as a walk-trot horse. Additionally, courts have held that failure to get a pre-purchase veterinary exam will constitute a wavier of any implied warranty of fitness. This is a reminder that a pre-purchase veterinary exam should always take place.
If a buyer is successful under the UCC, then they may be entitled to recover not only the purchase price, but also any
LEMON LAWS (continued)
related costs, including vet bills, transportation costs, and boarding fees.
(3) Consumer Protection Act. The CPA is intended to protect unsophisticated buyers against unfair or deceptive trade practices. Unlike the UCC, the CPA can apply even when there is no written contract. A seller can violate the CPA by engaging in activity that is misleading or deceptive in nature. The intent to mislead is not necessary as long as the action can be reasonably construed as a misleading or deceptive to an unsophisticated buyer. Examples may include medicating a horse to appear more docile during a test ride or failing to disclose an existing problem with the horse, even if the buyer doesn’t ask.
Under the CPA, exclusionary language in a contract (i.e., “sold as is”) will not serve as a defense. Additionally, unlike the UCC, the failure of a buyer to obtain a pre-purchase veterinary exam cannot be used as a defense.
If a buyer is successful under the CPA, then they can recover the purchase price of the horse as well as any out-of-pocket costs. Some states also permit punitive damages above the actual financial losses suffered. How to protect yourself. The purchase of a horse is a big commitment. In order to best protect yourself, you should always get a written sales agreement that includes specific terms. Do not buy a horse sight unseen. Ask the right questions and test ride the horse. If possible, request a trial period with the horse from the seller. When in doubt, get the help of a trusted professional to assist you.
Katherine Jarve is a partner at the Marlton, New Jersey law firm of Jarve Kaplan Granato Starr, LLC. She is licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and maintains a practice in personal injury and civil litigation, including equine related issues. Katherine spent her childhood competing on the national AQHA show circuit. This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice. If you have a specific legal question or problem, consult with an experienced equine law attorney. Questions, comments or suggestions can be e-mailed to kjarve@njtriallawyers.com.
EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA by Flossie Sellers
What every horse owner needs to know about this deadly disease
A recent outbreak of a deadly viral equine disease has caught the attention of many horse owners and caregivers. With cases in California, New Mexico, and Texas, horse owners are watching their own horses carefully for any signs of equine infectious anemia.
Signs include fever, depression, swollen legs and belly, loss of appetitie, loss of coordination, weakness and lethargy. Pregnant mares may abort their foals.
Causes and progression of equine infectious anemia: When horseflies or deerflies bite a horse infected with equine infectious anemia, the flies get blood from the infected horse on their mouth parts and then carry the infection on to other horses.
In some cases, the initial clinical signs of equine infectious anemia are mild and go unnoticed, but other horses may become seriously ill within one to three weeks.
The initial clinical sign is usually a high fever, up to 105 degrees or more. As the disease develops, the immune system, via antibodies, attacks and destroys the horse's red blood cells leading to anemia.
and legs will become apparent. EIA infected horses may die from direct effects of the virus or from secondary infections.
Some infected horses never show any signs of the illness. Although a horse can live with the virus, that horse can be a source of infection for other horses. This fact makes testing very important.
The Coggins test that checks for EIA antibodies in the horse's blood is often used. Blood samples are sent to a stateapproved laboratory. Some states require the test before a horse can be transported or sold.
The current testing program which was started in the
The Coggins test that checks for EIA antibodies in the horse's blood is often used. Blood samples are sent to a stateapproved laboratory. Some states require the test before a horse can be transported or sold.
Vital organs such as bone marrow, liver, heart and kidney may be damaged by accompanying inflammation and secondary infections such as pneumonia may occur because of suppression of the immune system.
Three distinct types of illness make up the progression of equine infectious anemia, but symptoms overlap: The acute illness is characterized by high fever, severe anemia, weakness, swelling of abdomen and legs, a weak pulse and an irregular heart beat. The rapid breakdown and destruction of red blood cells results in severe anemia and death may be the first indication of the disease.
Less serious cases of the illness progress more slowly and are less severe. In the less severe form of the disease similar symptoms occur, but they are not nearly as serious as in the acute form of the illness.
The horse may become jaundiced and an enlarged spleen may be felt with a rectal examination.
The chronic illness is characterized by recurrent fever and anemia. The horse tires easily and is lethargic and depressed.
After the first bout with the disease, most horses suffer recurrent episodes of illness accompanied by fever, loss of appetite and lethargy. A blood test will usually reveal decreased red blood cells and decreased platelets.
With recurring bouts, weight loss and edema in the chest
1970's has helped keep the disease in check for a number of years. Unfortunately, asymptomatic carriers in the horse population continue to perpetuate the problem.
Without a vaccine for EIA, it is important that each horse owner take responsibility to make sure all pasture mates and other horses in the area undergo the Coggins test or the EIA ELISA test with a negative result before allowing any contact with other horses.
Although the virus cannot live very long on the horse or deer fly, maybe as little as 15 to 30 minutes, all horses in close proximity need to be tested to make sure they are healthy and are not asymptomatic carriers of the disease.
Other preventative measures include routine health exams and yearly EIA tests, never reusing blood contaminated materials between horses and controlling horse and deer flies during the summer months.
Flossie Sellers has been an animal lover since childhood, She enrolled in My Horse University at Michigan State and completed a number of courses in everything related to horse health, nutrition, diseases and conditions, medications, hoof and dental care, barn safety, and first aid. Staying up-to-date on the latest developments in horse care and equine health is now a habit, and she enjoys sharing information with horse owners everywhere. She is Managing Editor of EquiMed.
